Published in Scientific Papers. Series E. Land Reclamation, Earth Observation & Surveying, Environmental Engineering, Vol. V
Written by Catalina BORDUN (FLOREA-GABRIAN), Sorin Mihai CIMPEANU
Land reclamation engineering technologies habe been succesfully applied to improve crop quality and compensate the natural inconspicuous and counterproductive factors for a long and radical evolution of the agricultural production. Still, an incorrect use of these technologies, inadequate agricultural exploitation and alcaline to salty soils, led to profound ecosystem degradation, up to desertification. It is the case of some specific areas in Braila county, Romania, which degraded from agricultural to desertified land. The paper aims to track the transformation of these areas over a 35 years period and to conclude whether stakeholders should follow the natural path and find a way to work along with the raw environment. The analisys passes in review the transformations of Braila plain from 1974 to 2010, based on graphic analysis of arridity index, Lang pluviometric index and Gaussen obrothermic diagram, corroborated with pedologic conditions, soil quality and climate factors variation, leading to the desertification of more than 2000 hectars, classified nowdays with the IV-th and V-th fertility grade. Administrative measures have been proposed by the local authorities but not applied on the site, due to high costs of implementation and the question to be answer is whether an eco management and economic solutions would better generate profitable use of these desertified soils.
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